Under the leadership of the All India Kisan Mahasabha, close to 15,000 farmers have been protesting at the Krishi Upaj Mandi in Sikar, Rajasthan since September 1. On Monday, the 10th day of their protest, they called for a ‘gherao’ and blockade today (September 11) of district collectorate after talks with the state government failed to solve their issues.

What are their demands?

The farmers’ demands include a complete farm loan waiver, implementation of the recommendations of the Swaminathan Commission, the withdrawal of the ban on cattle trade, a solution to the menace of stray cattle and a pension for farmers.

The farmers are demanding a complete farm loan waiver as they are indebted with heavy loans and the government has failed to provide them with a minimum support price (MSP) and bonus in case the MSP is less than the production cost, they say.

The farmers’ plight

The ban on cattle trade has also largely affected the farmers because the prices of cows and buffaloes have gone down, thus increasing the number of stray animals. The farmers lose their production to the stray animals who destroy their crops at night, thus adding to their debts.

The Pradhan Mantri Fiscal Bima Yojana has also failed to be beneficial to the farmers as it works on the basis of an ‘area approach’ instead of individual farmers. The insurance unit is village, village panchayat or other equivalent units for major crops. For other crops, it may be a unit of size higher than the village or village panchayat level, as decided by the state government.

A farmer from Reengus, Sikar told The Wire, “Most calamities don’t occur uniformly. For instance, in case of winters, every farm isn’t affected but the company pays the claim only if 5o% of the farms in a village are affected – which rarely happens. There is no office of the insurance company in the village, who do we speak to?”

The subsidised electricity provided to them is also hardly of any use as the Rs 1.15 rate per unit comes after a wait of seven years and is applied only till the consumption reached 50 units.

The farmers took their concerns to Rajasthan Minister Rajkumar Rinwa however, the meeting yielded no positive results.

“We were given an assurance letter by the government that it wants to resolve the issues but nothing concrete came out in the meeting. We stand firm on our demands and will block roads on Monday,” former MLA and leader of the Akhil Bhartiya Kisan Sabha, Amra Ram, told PTI.

The protest

Sikar’s agricultural market has become ground zero for the agitation and on Monday it escalated greatly as nearly every sector that constitutes the socio-political economy of the district including anganwadi workers, traders and various transportation unions came out in solidarity with the farmers. Close to 1 lakh people were present in the agitation today.

The farmers intend to continue the protest for an indefinite time period. “It is the biggest gathering I have seen in Sikar for at least 30 years,” said one of the residents of Sikar, as reported by News18. “What is happening is unprecedented,” he added. The farmers are cramped in an agricultural shed the length of three football fields.

After UP, Maharashtra CM Announces Loan Waiver For Farmers

Partner Story

Even at 76, Pradip Burman, the zestful chairman of Mobius Foundation radiates a contagious enthusiasm when he is talking about sustainability. The environmental crusader, better known to many as the great-grandson of Dabur founder Dr S.K.Burman, has devoted substantial attention towards promoting the concept of sustainability in all aspects of life. He refuses to conform to the convenience and comfort in today’s world which ultimately adds on to the adverse effects of climate change.

Talking to The Logical Indian, Burman emphasised why sustainability as a concept is indispensable for us. “We ought to be aware of what lies ahead of us. Soon we will finish the oil, iron, tin, and coal, and our next generations will be left with nothing. Recycling, banning plastics, stop felling trees for paper… This should become a part of everyone’s lifestyle,” he urges.

Mr Burman watering a sapling at the tree plantation drive organised by his non-profit Mobius Foundation

Traditional wisdom and modern research

A mechanical engineer from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), USA, Burman had always nurtured a keen interest in helping the society, as evident from his graduation project of designing a sonic aid for the visually challenged, which detected obstacles in the way using ultrasonic wave signals.

As an executive for the nature-centric company Dabur, Burman has always opted for natural alternatives to solve his everyday problems like taking Ayurvedic medicine to cure his Arthritis. He later launched the veterinary wing for Dabur – Ayurvet – which provides nature-friendly solutions for animal health care.

A patron of the ancient scientific wisdom of India, Burman always hailed the confluence of “traditional knowledge and modern research”, which he advocated as the Ayurvet motto.

Ayurvet is one of the best ventures by Mr Burman

As part of the CSR initiative of Dabur, Pradip Burman founded SUNDESH (Sustainable Development Society) which has been tirelessly working for last 25 years in remote villages for uplifting the rural communities in an environmentally sustainable way.

An advocate of sustainability

Burman believes that sustainability is the indispensable mantra for the world at present. Due to uncontrolled utilisation of the planet’s resources by human beings, the world today stands at a juncture of destabilisation. Today the human race has reached the pinnacle of progress but the advancement is happening in a very unsustainable manner.

Through energy-efficient use of everyday essentials like transport, communication, altered habits of diet, clothing and daily living, some crusaders of sustainability try to reduce their carbon footprint. Pradip Burman’s Mobius Foundation is one of the forerunners toward sustainability goals.

Mobius Foundation aims to change the sustainability dynamics

In 2015, Burman paved the way for the start of Mobius Foundation, focused on sustainability. Named after 18th-century German mathematician August Ferdinand Mobius, the famous Mobius strip has an important philosophical significance. The extraordinary shape symbolises balance and union.

Similar is the essence of Mobius Foundation which wishes to enhance the “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle” principle to a widespread basis in India, helping generations to come.

Founder Pradip Burman wishes to achieve notable development in education, population stabilisation and renewable energy projects.

A dream school in the making

At Coorg, Pradip Burman’s Mobius Foundation is constructing the World Environment School, Coorg (WESc) where the curriculum will surpass the boundaries of books and classrooms, with a special focus on hands-on learning in close collaboration with the environment. Amidst the pristine natural beauty of Coorg, the school will nurture young minds to grow up into future green leaders. As of now, the school will be open to teenagers, welcoming students from standards 6 to 12.

Needless to say, World Environment School will be the first-of-its-kind not only in India but also in entire South Asia. The school is expected to start from March 2020.

The school promises to nurture the responsible behaviour of citizens of our future.

The Sustainability Conference of 2019

In 2019, the Mobius Foundation has planned an international conference, on the lines of the celebrated earth summits over the past decade. The 2019 International Conference on Sustainability Education (ICSE 2019) aims to bring together environmental activists, practitioners of sustainable development as well as climate change experts to help develop a sustainability-focused curriculum.

It is surmised that the conference will give a platform to innovative concepts of Sustainability Education including an essential change in the existing education system ensuring a wholesome personal development for a student.

The Sustainability crusader

The Mobius founder strongly believes that it is high time to sprout sustainability awareness among a society drowning in consumerism and unknowingly doing irreparable harm to the planet, every second. The best way to achieve this goal is through education which is available to all. At present, the education system is predominantly career-oriented, making the learners a victim of materialism, and thus, their dreams are also outlined in those colours.

Living beyond the limits

When asked about his wish to attain the age of hundred, he strongly asserts that more than becoming a centurion, he wishes his life and work continue to better the society even in his absence. “I have lived my life. I wish that whatever I start before I go, will continue – for the betterment of my country,” says Mr Pradip Burman.

He is also a trustee of the Climate Reality Project – India (affiliated to Mr. Al Gore of the Climate Reality Project Foundation, USA). Climate Reality Project, India, has been actively engaged igniting the spark and spreading the message of climate change amongst educators, policy makers and civil society. The India branch looks after more than 500 trained Climate Leaders, and more than 900 volunteers spread all over the country.

In his journey, Pradip Burman has been a beacon of hope for millions, motivating many to join the movement for sustainability. We wish he continues his tireless efforts for promoting sustainability awareness and inspire generations to come.